HILLARY GOOFED IN DEM DEBATE

From the Royal E-Mail bag --

HILLARY GOOFED IN DEM DEBATE

By Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
July 30, 2007

The polling is in and Hillary made a big mistake in her sharp disagreement with Obama over whether the president should meet with leaders of rogue nations. According to the Rasmussen Poll, Democrats agree with Obama over Hillary by 55%-22%. Without a poll to pretest her comments, Hillary instinctively took the “insider” position that the president should only meet with such leaders after extensive probing by subordinates to assure that the meetings would be productive. But she was wrong. Democrats want the president to meet with leaders of such nations without pre conditions.

At the South Carolina Democratic Presidential debate, Hillary and Obama clashed over Obama’s statement that he would meet with leaders of rogue nations like North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran if he were president. Hillary said that she would not do so and would not allow herself to be used for “propaganda purposes.”

All week, Hillary pounded out her message, enlisting former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and her possible future Secretary of State Dick Holbrooke to speak up on behalf of her position. She blasted Obama as “naïve,” one of her few direct attacks on her opponent. For his party, Obama ridiculed her position as “Bush Cheney lite,” a comment that got under Hillary’s skin.

The exchange had little real significance during the two hour debate, but Hillary’s obsession with the issue all week has given it real importance. She made a big mistake in the debate and amplified it all week.

Why? Perhaps Hillary is not using polling the way Bill always did – to pretest and post test all important issues. If she had, she would not have locked into the minority position among Democratic primary voters and would not have stayed with that view all week.
Maybe her campaign staff was caught flatfooted for once.

The fact is that this week’s debate was the first time the two Democrats have clashed seriously since the contest began early this year. This round definitely goes to Obama.

***Copyright Eileen McGann and Dick Morris 2007

2 Shot by Boss after asking for Raise!

My boss handed this article out this morning. We have yearly reviews scheduled next week.

It is anticipated nobody will be asking for a raise....

From Fox News --

The owner of a car dealership has been accused of killing two employees because they kept asking for pay raises.

Rolandas Milinavicius has been charged with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of Inga Contreras, 25, and Martynas Simokaitis, 28.

Milinavicius, who was having financial problems, told police he shot the two Thursday after they kept asking for more pay, said police in East Point, which is just outside Atlanta. More...

Body of South Korean Hostage Found

Them guys from that "Religion of Peace" group have shown their negotiating skills have a lot to be desired.

With the killing of Christian volunteer, Shim Sung-Min, from South Korea, the Taliban have extended a "deadline of death" for the other 21 hostages until noon Monday.

From Al-Jazeera --

Afghan police say they have found the body of the second South Korean hostage to be killed by the Taliban.

The foreign ministry identified the man as Shim Sung-Min, 29.

Police said the body was found in Ghazni province shortly after the Taliban announced it had killed a second member of the 22-member team of Christian volunteers on Monday.

Qari Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, told Reuters by telephone on Monday: "We shot dead a male captive because the government did not listen to our demands."

Al Jazeera received an exclusive video showing some of the female South Korean hostages wearing headscarves, with fighters in the background. More....

Pay to Play - Alaskan Style

More pay to play?

On the surface the allegations against Alaskan Senator Stevens do not look to good. It is pretty amazing how Stevens, former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, could be so STUPID & GREEDY to have allowed any contractor to be hired through these means.

From Fox News --

FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents searched the home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens on Monday.

According to reports, in the last six years, Stevens has received more than $119,000, including $20,000 from VECO's former CEO Bill Allen. Stevens and Allen also are longtime friends and partners in a race horse investment.

Allen is also involved in a house-remodeling project Stevens undertook in 2000 and for which previously acknowledged that authorities warned him to preserve records. He told the Anchorage two weeks ago that he paid for all the renovations himself. More...

Stevens is not the only lawmaker with questionable ties to VECO. Sen. Lisa Murkowski & Rep. Don Young also have freindly ties with VECO.

Murkowski having bought land at a price described as a "steal." Young was given $57,000 from VECO political-action committee and its' employees over the last 10 years.

Aww, Crap!

Ever get stuck thinking about what to get someone for a gift?

Here is the gift for some that has everything....

The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base has come up with a dung-for-profit scheme that turns droppings from the endangered species into odor-free souvenirs ranging from bookmarks to Olympic-themed statues of the animals, state media and base officials said Monday.

An official who answered the phone at the Chengdu facility said the dung is "carefully selected, smashed, dried and sterilized at 572 degrees Fahrenheit." He refused to give his name but said the products will be of all colors because they will be dyed. More...

Muslim Guide to debating Infidels

The following is a satirical piece by Ayesha Ahmed to his muslim brothers. Click on the links in the story as you go.

From Persian Journal
By Ayesha Ahmed

Dear brothers and sisters in islam:

We live in kuffar country and daily we have to face the infidels who criticize Islam and our prophet, and who want to debate us. In an Islamic country if some one did that all we have to do is to announce loudly what he said and the rest is taken care of by an angry mob.

The critic is lynched in no time. End of the story.

However here we don't have that luxury as yet. Inshallah in forseeble future after we grow by conversions of morons and criminals in prisons, legal and illegal immigration and procreation we will, inshallah, become a majority and will not have to face this problem on daily basis. However, for the time being following is an approach all Muslim brothers and sisters can use when faced with such a pest. Jazakallah Khair. Inshallah the vermin will steer clear of you in future.

1. A popular question is "why Islam calls for death of Islamic critics and apostates". Insist that their info is false. Quote aya "to you your religion and to me my religion".

2. To answer "Islam spread with sword", say that it is a big lie spread by the right wing Christians, neo con jews and faithless hindus and that Quran clearly says " there is no compulsion in religion".

3. If the Bin Laden's jihad Fatwa of 1998 is quoted which orders mulim umma "to kill americans wherever they are found" which was also signed by top islamic clerics , say that those so called muslims /clerics have hijacked peaceful religion of islam and quote a part of aya 5.32 " killing one innocent is like killing the whole humanity".

4. If in response some one quotesall the violent ayas from Koran, accuse him of quoting ayas in bits and pieces and cherry picking .

5. If he then quotes full ayas and ayas before and after, than insist that the translation is wrong.

6. If he brings ten different translations than say correct meanings can be understood only by reading Quran in Arabic.

7. If he happens to be well versed in Arabic language than insist that those ayas don't mean what they appear to mean as they have allegorical meanings.

8. If he is adamant, than say you cannot understand those ayas without reading the context from hadiths and siras.

9. If he shows up with the hadiths and siras in hand and quotes the context of the violent ayas by referring to hadiths of prophet's rapes, robberies , assassinations and genocides then insist that "all hadiths and siras are heresay and are false, and only truth is in quran.

10. If they ask why you are doubting the history chrinicled by muslim scholars like imam Tabari , Ishaq and Bukhari, then tell them they were actually jews guise of as muslims.

11. If he says Quran is a man made book and wants proof of it's divinity then refer to the sciences in Quran and the book written by Dr. Bucaile confirming the sciences in our holy book. You can also quote that Mahatama Gandhi read Quran daily and also spoke highly of it.

12. If he says that Bucaile was on Saudi payroll and that nor he nor Gandhi ever changed their religions and that Bucaile was challenged and proven wrong by many experts then challenge him to ask his experts to debate islamists like Zakir Naik..

13. If the pests still hangs around then change the topic and find faults in other religions and their books.

14. If he continues on then use personal attacks and insult him by calling him a racist crusader, jewish a- hole , a Chinese pig or a hindu dog .

15. If that does not frustrate him, then ask him how much he is being paid by jews to throw dirt on Al Islam.

16. If he still does not stop then run for his mother and sister and use very filthy language.

17. If he is very stubborn and wants to continue, then curse him like "Burn in hell, you will repent on last day, Allah will get you in your grave" etc.

18. When all of the above has failed, threaten him with bodily harm and end the debate by drum beating and announcing that you won the debate hands down because Koran is the word of allah.

19. Definitely anounce about this debate victory in as many as possible popular islamist websites saying you had won it handily. Such announcements do wonders for the iman of muslim umma and for dawah operations in prisons to convince low IQ prisoners of the truth of Al Islam.

Tolerant Religion

From Pigazette --

Girlie Man of the Week: Lucas County Treasurer

From Pigazette --

Girlieman of the Week
Date Awarded: July 07, 2007

Girlieman: Wade Kapszukiewicz
Antics: Shocked by naked hooters

To its perpetrators, the charity golf fund raiser for the Lucas County (Ohio) Donkey Clan cabal was a bit more action packed than the organizers expected and that has certain political punk panties in a wad.

The organizers weren’t the least bit concerned when Ryan Kemp, the general manager for a local booty parlor, ponied up the funds to sponsor four people at the golf gig. The organizers didn’t seem to raise an eyebrow when Ryan sent some of his waitresses to staff the gig. What could possibly go wrong.

Actually, in our humble opinion, nothing went wrong, including that memorable moment when one of Ryan’s wenches flashed her sweater puppies at some golfers then lowered her shorts to give them that e-ticket class thrill. When that tidbit hit the local grapevine, everyone suddenly had ‘issues’ with strippers helping out at this charity golf gig. As fun as that is, it gets better, thanks to a Donkey Clan clown, Lucas County Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz, who claims he witnessed this blood stirring show and tell: "What I saw was inappropriate. What I saw did not represent the values of the Democratic Party." Oh really?

Apparently, Wade isn’t aware of Teddy "The Swimmer" Kennedy’s drunken antics with waitresses. At one memorable drinking binge, The Swimmer and another U.S. Senator made a ‘waitress sandwich’. Apparently, Wade never heard of Bubba Clinton’s Oval Office antics with the presidential cigar humidor, Monica Lewinski. Apparently, Wade isn’t up to speed on L.A. Mayor Tony Villar’s year long affair with a Telemundo boob tube hottie. Wake up and smell the testosterone, Wade. Strippers and their naked charms are so utterly Donkey Clan it can’t be quantified. Pull your head out of your butt, Wade and grow a pair.

Congratulations Wade, going gooey and girlie over some naked nymph naughty bits earned you our Girlieman of the Week.

Source of Fish Kill located

I first read about this fish kill at Psychobilly Democrat.

The source of the recent fish kill in Mantua Township may have been run off from a local farm. The heavy rains over the last week is believed to have caused fertilizers and chemicals applied at a local farm to run into tributaries leading to Ladue Resevoir.

Ladue Resevoir is part of the Akron Watershed used for drinking supply. This contaminated runoff should not affect the quality of the drinking water.

From the PD --

Chemical agents found at a farm near Mantua Township on Friday could be the source of what killed 500 to 1,000 fish in a stream along Route 44 that pours into the LaDue Reservoir, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said Saturday.

The fish, which included species such as blue gill, grass pike, minnows, small perch and others were found dead Thursday along a mile stretch of a stream near Ohio 44 and Winchell Road...

Though the spill killed hundreds of fish, the water and fish in the Ladue Reservoir are safe for eating and drinking, Brown said.

Brown said workers took several samples of water near the creek and said some of the agents found on the farm included amonia, fertilizer and herbicide.

The EPA always says, "The solution to pollution, is dillution."

Believe it or Not: Cleveland Screws up again!

When does something get so sad, that you laugh instead of cry?

From ONN --

CLEVELAND, Ohio- A published report says Cleveland has failed to conduct safety inspections on thousands of elevators and wheelchair lifts as required by a city law.

The Plain Dealer reports that four out of every five elevators have not been checked since 2005, violating a law that requires annual inspections.

The city has about 3,800 active elevators.

Among the equipment that was not inspected was a church wheelchair lift that's being blamed in the death of an 84-year-old woman.

A report says the lift at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ abruptly stopped, lurched and tipped on April 29.

Jeanne von Sternberg of suburban Parma died about a week later from head injuries a coroner blamed on the lift accident.

Maybe the inspectors were busy looking for their lost PDA's.

Sexual Harassment suit may screw Bloomberg

While he has not yet declared his candidacy for President, it looks like Bloomberg may want to reconsider....

From Breitbart --

Before his election as mayor in 2001, Bloomberg was the target of a sexual harassment suit by a female executive who accused him of making repeated raunchy sexual comments while he was chief executive of his financial company, Bloomberg LP.

The harassment suit was filed in 1997 by former Bloomberg LP sales executive Sekiko Sakai Garrison. Bloomberg adamantly denied the allegations and settled the case in 2000 for an undisclosed amount without admitting any wrongdoing.

Zach Reed to lead petition drive against Sales Tax increase

From WTAM --

Cleveland City Councilman Zach Reed is leading a petition drive to get the Cuyahoga County sales tax .25% increase put on a ballot for voters to have their say. The Cuyahoga County Commissioners have voted 2-1 to impose the quarter percent increase without the vote of the people. The increase would fund a new convention center and a medical mart downtown.

Reed says Commissioners Jimmy Dimora and Tim Hagan are at fault for not putting this on a ballot before the residents of the county. He says his group will now circulate petitions to try and get more than 45-thousand signatures to force the issue onto the ballot next year.

Click here to see a photo gallery of the announcement.

FBI Warns Public of E-mail Scams

The FBI is warning people to be careful when opening any spam emails. After receiving a rise in complaints, the FBI suggests deleting any unsolicited emails....

From Conservative Voice --

In one scam, an e-mail recipient receives an electronic greeting card containing malware (malicious software). The cards, which are also referred to as e-cards or postcards, are being sent via spam.

In another scam, fraudulent e-mails misrepresent the FBI and/or Director Robert S. Mueller III and give the appearance of legitimacy due to the usage of pictures of the FBI Director, seal, letter head, and/or banners.

The third is spam e-mail which claim to be from an official of the U.S. military sent on behalf of American soldiers stationed overseas.

Good Job Mary!

I am a little late with posting this, but...

From ONN --

In all, state Auditor Mary Taylor questioned $36 million in spending at six state agencies last year, most at the departments of Education and of Job and Family Services.

In the case of Job and Family Services, state auditors identified $15.2 million in questioned costs, including $13 million improperly paid to Medicaid providers due to glitches in the state's electronic payment system through Medicaid and the State Children's Insurance Program. Medicaid is a federal-state program that helps pay for health care for the needy, aged, blind and disabled, and for low-income families with children. More....

Watergate "Rat" suffers stroke

I would never wish bad health on anyone. But this makes you wonder..... Did he lie and if so, is he being punished.

From ONN --

Watergate conspirator Jeb Magruder suffered a stroke that apparently led to crashes with two vehicles this week, police said Friday.

After a stint in federal prison for his role in Watergate, Magruder trained for the ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. He served churches in California, Ohio and Kentucky. He also worked for Colorado-based Young Life, a ministry to high school students, and as a fundraising consultant. He retired to suburban Columbus four years ago.

In July 2003, Magruder made national headlines with his claim that he heard President Nixon order the break-in that led to Nixon's resignation. Historians dismissed the notion as unlikely. More....

Prostitutes & Chicken Suits

How's this for creative sentencing.....

PAINESVILLE, Ohio - Three men convicted of solicitation will not face a traditional punishment.

Instead, Judge Mike Cicconetti will sentence the men to each wear a chicken suit like shown in the photograph below and carry a sign for three hours at the PMC parking lot on Richmond Street.

The sign says, "No Chicken Ranch in Painesville," which is a take on the movie, "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas."

The brothel in the movie was known as the Chicken Ranch because during the Depression customers were allowed to pay with poultry.

Each of the men will have to wear the suit for an hour.

RPCC Platform tabled

Very, very good meeting last night on the RPCC Platform. We had intended to make a motion to table the platform as soon as the meeting started. Luckily we held off!

The rank & file began voicing their opinions for and against various language in the platform. We sat by and rolled with the punches. Mayor Akers was compared to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson several times.

We had a loose coalition of people from various groups that pulled together to at least stall this platform.

Acknowledging the letter sent from, Jim Irvine, of Buckeye Firearms Association, the pro gun control language was immediately removed from the platform on a motion made by Chairman Frost. It is alleged the pro gun control language was an oversight. I don’t buy this.

How in the hell do you advance a GOP platform coming out for gun control, and have no pro life language?

The laundry list of items was removed from the Home Rule portion of the platform.

Attempts were made to remove the reform of public sector pensions / Double Dipping. Bruce Trakas spoke out against removing this. A vote was taken and this language will be kept on the platform. Great Job by Bruce!

The supporting of minority candidates topic was good!

Platform proposed to increase minority participation in the party and increase minority candidates. It was noted that there were NO minorities on the platform committee.

I laughed as I looked around the room and saw several minorities sitting in the crowd. Sure was nice to see Virgil Brown Sr. among other "minorities" in the crowd. If we were sincere, Mr. Brown Sr, Jr. or any others in the room could have been on the committee.

I know of one black women that is a tremendous addition to our Central Committee and would be a great asset on any committee.

Mr. Brown Sr. and many of the Cleveland precinct people voiced their opposition to reducing Cleveland Council seats. Richard May spoke frankly about the shortcomings of these ideas. He elaborated on how this would be a godsend to the dems of the area and the size of the proposed wards would be unrealistically to large.

The meeting was scheduled to end at 7:30pm. At 7:28pm, I called for a motion to table the platform. I explained it is unrealistic, in the format this is being debated, to expect our party to leave this room tonight with a platform that will lead us to success.

A oral vote was taken, the no’s screamed louder they yeas. I then immediately asked for a division of votes and a hand count was taken. This hand count showed the true vote and changed the outcome.

We WON! 57 for, 54 against!

Had this been put to a vote to accept or defeat the platform, I believe we would not have been successful. I will be working to have the platform completely redrafted and resubmitted to the party for review. I will be contacting central & executive committee members of our party urging them to submit their views to the RPCC on what our platform should reflect. Should their opinions not be included the next time the platform is debated, our support against this will grow.

But speaking with Chairman Frost after the meeting and explaining my position and concerns, I do believe our party will do the right thing. I am fully confident that this platform will be reworked with close cooperation and input from the rank & file.

If our concerns are not addressed, we will work to have the platform defeated and/or tabled again.

The following is from an email forwarded to me from a fellow RPCC Central Committee member. The original email is from a "New" Central Committee member and her take of the meeting.....


......And it was quite interesting. I arrived at 5:20 PM. I was on the very first row and first seat by the camera crew.

I like Rob Frost. He seems to truly enjoy being the Chairman and appears to be quite knowledgeable; however, he, respectfully, really should brush up on Robert's Rules of Order.

When a committee chair gives a report, it should be "moved" by the committee chair for adoption. No second is required. Then the debate goes from there...motions can be made to strike out words and insert others or add words, etc. "Aye" is in favor and "nay" is opposed.

When something is "tabled" and seconded, the vote occurs immediately, no hesitation. (When Ralph made his motion the first time to table the entire platform and it received a second, it should have been voted on immediately. If I 'm not mistaken, it superseded the motion on the floor.)

The second time around Ralph made the motion to table (and seconded); then the chair asked whether "we" have the room until 9:00 PM. That was not relevant and out of order. And the chair shouldn't have added "until the next meeting" as that was not part of the tabling motion being made, but put the maker of the motion on the spot to agree.

And any suspending of the rules, I don't believe is the chair's call exclusively...it requires a 2/3 vote of the body, as does the limiting or extending of the debate. Everything else is pretty much a majority vote. (The rules of debate should be voted on by the body at the beginning of the meeting.)

When the "question" is called (and seconded) the debate stops immediately and it requires a vote, no discussion. And 2/3, not just the majority must agree to call for the previous question...

I just love a lively debate provided Robert's Rules of Order are followed to ensure the playing field is equal. :0) For those kinds of intense debates a CERTIFIED parliamentarian should be on hand. I’m not sure if the guy giving Rob parliamentary advice was such a person, but maybe he was and Rob wasn’t totally listening to him. That was a tough crowd with MANY opinions; Frost did well under fire.

The debate over whether to endorse two candidates from Rocky River was amazing! And in many ways out of order by Robert's Rule of Order standards. The entire debate was highly entertaining.

The dynamics in the room was very interesting. I look forward to the next meeting. :0)

Obama like Reagan?

Trying to quell the outrage from Obama's willingness to meet with rogue nations that are declared enemies of the United States, Anthony Lake, an Obama foreign policy adviser makes comparisons to Ronald Reagan....

From Breitbart --

WASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama's offer to meet without precondition with leaders of renegade nations such as Cuba, North Korea and Iran touched off a war of words, with rival Hillary Rodham Clinton calling him naive and Obama linking her to President Bush's diplomacy.

In Monday's debate from Charleston, S.C., Obama was asked by a questioner via YouTube if he would be willing to meet—without precondition—in the first year of his presidency with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea.

"I would," he responded.

"A great nation and its president should never fear negotiating with anyone and Senator Obama rightly said he would be willing to do so—just as Richard Nixon did with China and Ronald Reagan with the Soviet Union," Lake said. More....

Pelosi must have told him about her success in Syria!

Chavez to expel foreign critics

Touchy, Touchy!

From Al-Jazeera --

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, has said foreigners who publicly criticise him or his government while visiting Venezuela will be expelled from the country.

Chavez ordered officials to closely monitor statements made by international figures during their visits to Venezuela - and deport any outspoken critics.

Speaking during his weekly Sunday television and radio programme, Chavez asked: "How long are we going to allow a person - from any country in the world - to come to our own house to say there's a dictatorship here, that the president is a tyrant, and nobody does anything about it?"

He said: "No foreigner, whoever he may be, can come here and attack us. Whoever comes, we must remove him from the country. More....

Isn't this the guy who the democrats cheered when he called President Bush the "Devil"?

Voracious Jumbo Squid Invade California

Many of you may not be interested in this, but it is my blog and I thinks this is cool!

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) - Jumbo squid that can grow up to 7 feet long and weigh more than 110 pounds is invading central California waters and preying on local anchovy, hake and other commercial fish populations, according to a study published Tuesday.

Before the 1970s, the giant squid were typically found in the Eastern Pacific, and in coastal waters spanning from Peru to Costa Rica. But as the populations of its natural predators—like large tuna, sharks and swordfish—declined because of fishing, the squids moved northward and started eating different species that thrive in colder waters. More....

America, meet your dumbest congressman

This column from Joe Farah at World Net Daily was sent to me via email from a democrat from Cuyahoga County. The comment in the email with the link simply stated - "Nice Title, I thought for sure this would be Kucinich."

From World Net Daily --

Meet the dumbest man in Congress.

Who could it be?

Ted Kennedy?

Joe Biden?

Jack Murtha?

I admit it. There's quite a bit of competition for the title – the dumbest man in Congress.
Could it be Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee or Patty Murray? No, I'm not limiting the choices to men of the male persuasion.

Do you want to know who I think is the dumbest man in Congress?

I tell you it is Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio.

But Voinovich, being the dumbest man in Congress, self-destructed. He imploded. He self-immolated. He nuked himself.

You can hear the whole exchange for yourself if you have never had the pleasure. It will be worth your time – especially if you are from Ohio. More....

Sheehan Jail House Confession - " I am running against Pelosi"

I guess this makes it official, Cindy Sheehan will be running against Ninny Pelosi. After being used as a "tool" to advance their anti-war agenda by the democrats, Sheehan is fed up they are all talk and no action!

Sheehan met with Conyers to see if he would keep his word about moving forward to impeach Bush & Cheney. Not getting the answer she wanted, Sheehan was arrested for protesting with anti-war morons outside Rep. John Conyers office.

From USA Today --

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Monday at the Capitol for disorderly conduct, shortly after saying she would run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi....

"The Democrats will not hold this administration accountable, so we have to hold the Democrats accountable," Sheehan said outside of Conyers' office after the meeting. "And I for one am going to step up to the plate and run against Nancy Pelosi."

Rev. Strickland caters to his flock

Rev. Strickland will try to use state money to buy approximately 7,000 votes for the democrats by further stuffing union coffers.

Rev. Strickland, doing a fine imitation of AG. Marc Dann, signed an executive order that will allow independent home health care workers to unionize. The disurbing thing of this is the Rev. thinks it will be good to allow independent contractors, used by the state, to unionize.

Who is it good for?

Is it good for Rev. Ted?

Hell yes! Catering to his flock, the Reverend just bought a whole bunch more votes for his party.

Is it good for the unions, which no longer stand for the workers and have become a subsidized mouthpiece for the democrat party?

Absolutely! Rev. Strickland's executive order can potentially lead to stuffing the unions pockets with union dues that will be paid by these, state paid independent contractors.

Surely one cannot think this is good for the patients or their families!

From the Akron Beacon Journal --

State Rep. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, noted the revealing sequence of events, lawmakers routing additional money to home care in the new state budget, the governor shortly thereafter opening the way for organized labor to tap into those funds.

If nothing else, the governor's action merited a broader discussion than the sweep of his signature. As things stand, it is hard to forget that the Service Employees International Union donated $134,800 to the governor and $1.6 million to the Ohio Democratic Party last year. Did someone say pay-to-play?

More success in Iraq

18 July 07
By Spc. L.B. Edgar
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGHDAD, Iraq – There was no network news coverage, no front page spread, but local leaders of Mrezat, a small agricultural village in a northern section of the Adhamiyah District, shed tears of joy as water pumped from the Tigris River and passed attendees of a ceremony to mark the opening of a new pumping station in the community.

In Mrezat, water is the lifeblood of the people. The agrarian community subsists primarily on palm-date groves, which are grown throughout the year. Without proper irrigation the groves wither and date production ceases.

Mrezat’s refurbished irrigation pump brings the needed water from the Tigris’ base to the farmers’ crops.

Though the opening was of critical importance to the residents of Mrezat, the success story will not make any headlines, said Lt. Col. Al Shoffner, the commander of 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

“I would welcome the media to cover things like today and I don’t think if we had media there I would have to say much,” said the native of Lawton, Okla., referring to the grateful residents of Mrezat.

True success stories, like Mrezat’s pump opening, go unnoticed largely due to the overemphasis placed on the loss of human life. While he admits there is a human toll to warfare, Capt. Frank Fisher, a non-kinetic project officer with the regiment’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, said it shouldn’t necessitate the omission of any and all progress.

Fisher, a 37-year-old native of Dryden, Mich., said that media reporting in the United States often overlooks the construction of humanitarian projects in Iraq.

He said Mrezat’s irrigation pump is producing between 1,000 and 5,000 gallons of irrigation water per hour. Up to 12,000 residents’ lives are better because of it, he said.

The culmination of two months work by the Basateen Neighborhood Advisory Council was good news for the people it affected and those who assisted in the project.

“It’s important for Soldiers to see they are not merely security guards but are helping the government of Iraq and its people get back on their feet,” said Shoffner.

He said projects like this one help ensure security more than patrols, because people have a vested interest in maintaining order.

“Recently, the area has been peaceful and because it’s been peaceful and secure we’re able to do projects like we did today,” Shoffner said. “I think the sheiks understand that these sorts of projects are only possible if they are willing to police themselves and maintain the peace.”

Mrezat and the Basateen area of Adhamiyah are expected to see even more progress in the near future, with upcoming projects to refurbish two schools and repave roads. In neighboring Suffiya, a cooperative of power generators is in the works. Basateen is slated to receive reusable solar energy, Fisher said.

All of the projects will act as band aids until the government of Iraq fixes its power grid, Shoffner said.

“The projects are designed so they do not depend on coalition forces or Iraqi security forces for fuel, maintenance or to operate the generators. The communities do that themselves,” Shoffner explained.

With upcoming projects on tap and the Basateen Neighborhood Advisory Council working to improve the community, Fisher said maybe one day, that too, will make the news.

Photo - Lt. Col. Al Shoffner, native of Lawton, Okla., and commander of 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division speaks with leaders of Mrezat in the Basateen neighborhood of Baghdad's Adhamiyah district before the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Mrezat Water Pump Station July 10. The irrigation pump benefits 10 to 12 thousand people in Mrezat, whose primary crop is the palm-date grove.

Sheehan - Democrats are party of Slavery & started every war in the 20th century

Hell hath no fury like a women scorned!

From WND --

Cindy Sheehan, the so-called "Peace Mom" who once called terrorists killing Americans in Iraq "freedom fighters," is now attacking the Democratic Party as she continues her quest to win the congressional seat of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

"Don't tell me the Democrats are our 'saviors' because I am not buying it.....

"The Democrats are the party of slavery and were the party that started every war in the 20th century, except the other Bush debacle. The Federal Reserve, permanent federal income taxes, not one but two World Wars, Japanese concentration camps, and not one but two atom bombs dropped on the innocent citizens of Japan – all brought to us via the Democrats." More....

Sheehan has said support is about 3 to 1 for her to run against Pelosi.

Sheehan's campaign manager, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez & campaign spokesman, Iraninan President Imabuttjob, feel Sheehan has a great chance of unseating Ninny Pelosi.

Road construction "Road Rage"

Being a Lead Project Rep on heavy highway & infrastructure construction projects, I deal with vehicle and pedestrian traffic on a routine basis as part of my job.

I have seen some pretty wild things. Just last week we had a lady drive through a road closed 5 times within 1.5 hours. The escapade ended when on her last "visit" she almost drove into a 28' deep excavation and was nearly hit by the bucket from the excavator.

I guess drivers in CA are no better!

From ONN --

Drivers inconvenienced by a road-widening project subjected construction workers to so much abuse - including death threats, BB gun shootings, even a flying burrito - that the state revoked a rush-hour window and shut down the highway altogether.

A $44 million widening project was supposed to alleviate the danger, not create a new class of victims.

The first sign things were going to turn ugly was after the transportation department allowed drivers to use the highway only during rush hour last summer.....

One person called and said he would climb a water tower and shoot workers. Next came angry exchanges, with one driver tossing a burrito at a construction worker. Vandals tore down barricades and construction equipment was stolen, More....

At the start of each construction season, one thought that enters your mind is.... I wonder how many workers I know will die on the job this year. So far this year it has been 2 people.

Several years ago when working on the side of the road, a friend was hit by a car throwing him into the tree chipper, killing him instantly.

One construction company had their best concrete crew get injured by a vehicle crashing through the zone. None of them returned from their injuries!

Road closoings, detours, flagmen, orange barrels, construction workers, etc.... Yes they are a pain in the a** and delay your busy day, but these guys are just doing thier jobs. They do not design the projects or schedule the detours and/or road closures.

So please be careful when you drive through construction zones!

The Med-Mart "Dog & Pony Show" begins!

And for your entertainment, in the center ring we present the Med-Mart "Dog & Pony Show"! Being brought to you by the CuyaHOGa County Commissioners!

Playing on the desperation of Cleveland & Cuyahoga Co. residents, the people that want to bring us Med-Mart, are now resorting to scare tactics.

Wanting to give the appearance of public support, our CuyaHOGa County Commissioners stacks the peanut gallery with supporters (Jock?) to give the full effect....

From the PD --

The president of Merchandise Mart Properties told 300 mostly supportive people Thursday that a Medical Mart would help Cleveland's economy by creating new jobs - from entry level to high-paying - and would revitalize and rebrand the region as a place to be.

But Chris Kennedy cautioned after his presentation that competitors could snatch the idea and business opportunity away from Cleveland if things don't happen fast.

The mart would draw year-round visitors, as well as lure as many as 50 medical trade shows a year, bringing in thousands of people who would stay in Cleveland hotels, eat at restaurants and visit area attractions.

Kennedy promised his company would relocate to Cleveland some of the dozens of trade shows and events the company currently hosts in its other properties in Chicago, Los Angeles and High Point, N.C. More.....

Haven't we heard all these promises before?

Being right up his alley, Taxin' Tim Hagan, states, "virtually all convention centers are publicly supported...."

Good point Tim! Problem is these other publicly supported convention centers were not built by incompetent boobs full of corruption.

In between bites of a salami sandwich, Dimora reminds the residents they are not as smart as the commissioners claiming, "residents don't understand the county only gets 1 percent of the sales tax and that 5.5 percent goes to the state and 1 percent to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority."

Wow, another good point! Could you tell us dumb people, if these places get part of the sales tax and the RTA will directly benefit, will they be participating with any matching funds? Has anyone asked Rev. Ted if the state will help the poorest city in Ohio?

Why would he not buy into this "yellow brick road" of a plan?

PETER Lawson Jones is the lone commissioner, at least for now, against forcefully imposing the .25% sales tax increase. But with promises of possibly shortening the length of the tax the Jones, said "It's more appetizing, but I'm still resisting the bite."

Knowing his vote means nothing and already admitting defeat, PETER wants his colleagues to commit to finding other revenue sources that would allow them to quickly rescind the sales tax soon after it is enacted.

Most of the supporters in the peanut gallery were area business owners, who stand to benefit most, and of course the unions, who remained silent for years about minority contract corruption. The few voices against this proposal ranged from, a request to putting the tax increase on the ballot and then one person calling it communism.

Under the pretense of seeking community input, but purposely scheduled to exclude the John Q. Citizen, the meetings are set when most people who will be burdened by this 20 year tax are working and unable to voice their opinion.

The next public hearing will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Cleveland Public Library, Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium, 525 Superior Ave.

With something of this magnitude and the impact it may have on the region, why would our commissioners only have two public meetings scheduled during the day?

Would it not be more appropriate to schedule a series of meetings like Stephanie Tubbs-Jones did with her inquiry in to the Cuyahoga Co. Board of Elections?

If they truly wanted to hear public input, why would these meetings not be scheduled in the evening, when most people would be able to attend?

I've said it before, and I will say it again....If the so-called "business and political leaders" want the medical mart so bad, they should ask the business community and medical community to foot the bill, NOT the taxpayer.

Bipartisan support to stop invasive species and ballast water in Great Lakes

From the PD --

A U.S. House committee this week debated The Clean Water Restoration Act - an update of the 1972 Clean Water Act.

Members of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative - including Cleveland and Toledo - on July 12 called on the Canadian and U.S. governments to pass comprehensive invasive species and ballast water control legislation.

Ballast water from ships is cited as the source of dozens of invasive aquatic species continually changing the entire Great Lakes ecosystem.

U.S. senators George Voinovich and Sherrod Brown and Ohio Rep. Michael Skindell will join state officials and environmentalists Monday morning at Edgewater Park to provide a briefing on their roles in both federal and state proposals to stop destructive exotic species.

The board of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency last week voted to support anti-invasive species legislation.

It cannot be stressed enough how IMPORTANT it is to protect one of our states greatest assets!

Cuyahoga County Republican Party's Anti-Gun Platform

I received a letter in the mail today from, Jim Irvine, Chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association, regarding the proposed RPCC Platform. In it he asks fellow Central Committee members for their support in defeating this anti-freedom platform, and inserting strong language in support of your Second Amendment rights.

I will be posting more on the proposed RPCC platform in the next day or so, and will include some of the email comments. For varying reasons, many RPCC Central Committee members are voicing their opposition.

In a post on their site, Buckeye Firearms points out how the home rule language in the proposed platform is in direct conflict with a strong statement sent by every Republican member of the House in the the overide of Gov. Taft on HB 347.

Click on the links below to read the whole post and the letters sent to all RPCC Central Committee members and RPCC Chairman Rob Frost -




By Jim Irvine

The Cuyahoga County Republican Party is holding a meeting on Wednesday, July 25th to adopt the party platform. A platform is a basic template of ideas the party openly supports. Candidates are encouraged (sometimes pressured) to take positions in agreement with the platform, though they are not required to be 100% in agreement.

The draft which has been sent to Central Committee members for approval contains shocking and disturbing goals for gun owners. They seek to “Oppose the efforts to curtail constitutional home rule in such areas as…gun control…”

Buckeye Firearms Association will work with our friends within the party to defeat this dangerous plank. More....

Proof Blackwell was wrong on leasing Turnpike / Republicans owe an apology

You know, it sure feels good to be the King!

Many of us remember Blacksmells attempt to lease our toll roads. Many Blacksmell bobble headed bloggers could not wait to line up behind Ken to tout this misguided plan.

Some may remember me being adamantly against this mindless proposal.

Here in our own party, Blacksmell attacked long time RPCC members in his scorched earth campaign. Many in our party, not having a spine, supported this idea and allowed the party censure of longtime, loyal party member. This person was simply defending himself against attacks and spoke out against the poor idea of leasing our toll roads.

It looks like our party owes somebody an apology!

From WND --

Investment analysts in New York and Australia charge that Macquarie, the Australian conglomerate leasing U.S. toll roads, is a "house of cards" that has made billions by spinning off the highway assets into over-valuated investment trusts controlled by the bank.

Titled "The Fatal Flaw in the Financing of Private Road Infrastructure in Australia," the paper argued equity investors in Macquarie investment trusts are likely to suffer heavy losses by excessive valuations Macquarie makes of financed toll roads that are packaged together to be sold to pension funds and other institutional investors.

Goldberg also argued that government guarantees on Macquarie projects are often buried in the confidential part of toll road "comprehensive development agreements," such that the public taxpayer liability only comes to light when a toll road project fails. More....

Rumor has it Blacksmell might run against Rinovich. Let's hope he does! Maybe they can both RUN right out of Ohio!

Ken, please take your Cuyahoga County Coordinator with you!

Hello, Hello? Damn phone is STILL broke! Now how about that apology!?!

Pakistani national arrested in NY for exporting illegal weapons

Man, I love them so called illegal phone taps!

From Iran Focus --

A Pakistani national was arrested Thursday on allegations he illegally shipped weapons to Malaysia, including fighter jet parts likely to end up in Iran.

Jilani Humayun, 59, was charged with 11 counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges carry up to 150 years in prison upon conviction.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia said it is well documented in public reports that the sole customer of F-14 parts is the Iranian Air Force. More.....

More cases of terrorists 'baking' children cited

Last week I posted a story about terrorist groups in Iraq kidnapping children, baking and feeding them to their family as a means of coercion to advance their extremists views.

For any of the doubters, which I am sure there are many and rightfully so, there are more examples which confirm this barbaric behavior.

In the most shocking report from Iraq we have received, a toddler was kidnapped in Baghdad in October 2006. The mother could not afford to pay the ransom, and so the kidnappers killed the child. They returned the body to the mother. The little child had been beheaded, roasted and was served on a mound of rice.

WND has reported that the tradition of "baking" or "burning" of ones victims is common to muslim history books.

They also note this tradition is outlined in the The Catholic Encyclopedia.

Mandel returning to Iraq

Yep, thats right, our freind Josh is returning to Iraq. Josh being the true American and Patriot that he is, did not bat an eye when receiving his orders....

"I didn't join the Marine Corps to say no when the Marine Corps needed Marines in my field," said Mandel.

"One thing I will say is that regardless of how people feel about the war in Iraq people here support the troops," he said. "We as Marines understand and appreciate that."

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!

I can only wish Josh the best and look forward to helping him campaign to retain his seat in the '08 election!

North Korea shuts down 4 more Nuclear Facilities

I posted yesterday how North Korea shut down a nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.

The head U.S. nuke negotiator Christopher Hill had several meetings yesterday with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan.

Here's even more good news out of North Korea!

From Fox News --

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — U.N. inspectors have verified that North Korea has shut down four more nuclear facilities beyond its sole working reactor, the chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Wednesday.

"We have verified all the five nuclear facilities have been shut down," Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

Some of the facilities have also been sealed by the U.N. inspectors, ElBaradei told reporters during a visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Elizabeth Edwards on Hillary; It's a MAN, Baby!

I am loving this election already....

WASHINGTON (AP) - Elizabeth Edwards said Tuesday that her husband, Democrat John Edwards, would be a better advocate for women as president than his rival Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"I'm not convinced she'd be as good an advocate for women. She needs a rationale greater for her campaign than I've heard. "

"Sometimes you feel you have to behave as a man and not talk about women's issues. I'm sympathetic—she wants to be commander in chief," she said. More...

So she is saying John Edwards will be a better advocate for women because;

A.) Hillary is more of a man than John Edwards.

B.) John Edwards is more of a women than Hillary.

Makes me think - Was Coulter on to something?

Soldiers Defend Body Armor's Performance in Combat

From United States Central Command

13 July 07

By Debi Dawson

Army News Service

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Soldiers are volunteering dramatic personal accounts of lives saved and injuries avoided thanks to the Army's body armor. Their first-hand accounts of what happens demonstrate confidence in what the Army is doing to protect them.

Interceptor Body Armor is a modular system that features an outer tactical vest with hard protective plates. Spc. Gregory T. Miller, 101st Airborne Division, told Congress at a hearing last month that this body armor saved his life while he was on patrol in Kirkuk in preparation for Iraqi elections in December 2005. He was hit in the back by a sniper with what was supposed to be an armor-piercing round. Spc. Miller, who wound up with a bruised back, said he didn't even realize he'd been hit at first.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, he said. The water bottle he was holding flew out of his hand; he thought his team leader had hit him on the back - hard. When he realized he'd been hit, he checked himself and then turned to return fire. When the round was pulled from his armor back plate, ballistics tests identified it as a 7.62 armor-piercing round. "I trust my gear," he told the congressional panel. When asked why, he replied matter-of-factly: "It saved my life."

Staff Sgt. Jeremie Oliver of Fort Hood, Texas, has been in Iraq since October 2006, wearing his body armor every single day. "It works very well," he has reported. The husband and father of four children was shot on Father's Day this year.

"We were on patrol securing a site ... a shot rang out and I got hit in the chest. I was in a Bradley, standing up in the hatch, plotting a grid on my GPS. At first I didn't know what had really happened, but then I felt the pain. I sat down, realized what happened, and opened my vest. The bullet had not penetrated the vest, so we continued the mission and went after the enemy."

Sgt. 1st Class Jody Penrod described his combat experience with IBA: "I took a couple of IEDs and some shrapnel, and I had a fire bomb and it didn't light on fire. So I was pretty pleased."

Because the IBA vest protected his entire chest area, Sgt. 1st Class Penrod didn't have so much as a scratch from the shrapnel in the blast. He recounted how insurgents had made Napalm-type bombs with soap so that it would stick to Soldiers while on fire. "I got some on my vest, but it just went right out. So I was kind of happy that the vest didn't go up in flames."

Spc. Jason C. Ashline, an infantryman with Fort Drum, N.Y.'s 10th Mountain Division, survived a round from an AK-47 in Afghanistan in 2002 thanks to his body armor. He stated at the recent dedication of MIT's Institute for Nanotechnologies: "If it weren't for technology I wouldn't be standing here today."

Spc. Ashline was hit twice in the chest during a 12-hour firefight with al-Qaeda insurgents in 2002. The slugs lodged in his body armor. He was stunned but unhurt, and was pulled to safety by his buddies.

Documenting personal accounts of positive body armor experiences is difficult because the Army doesn't keep count of Soldiers not killed or injured. Still, there are more stories like these and Army leaders at all levels recount apocryphal tales by the dozens.

Capt. David Beard, now stationed at Fort Myer, Va., previously served in Iraq. "I remember a guy in Najaf got shot with an AK right in the chest," Beard said, "and his IBA plate saved him!"

Capt. Daniel Leard, also at Fort Myer by way of Iraq, called his body armor "a great protective asset." He said it routinely stop rounds. "In our own unit we had, on several occasions, Soldiers pulling bullets out of their body armor or helmet. It clearly saved their lives."

Brig. Gen. R. Mark Brown, Program Executive Officer, has repeatedly asserted that the Army is providing Soldiers with the best, most protective body armor - bar none. He particularly resents the fact that Soldiers' Families have been misled by conflicting media reports that left them concerned that the Army might not be doing all it can to protect its Soldiers.

"Force protection is the number-one priority of the Army. We value our Soldiers very highly and we do everything we can do to ensure they have the finest in force protection as they go into the battle," Brig. Gen. Brown said. "I want to assure the American public, the Soldiers and their Families that they have the best equipment when and where they need it."

PEO Soldier designs, produces and fields virtually everything the American Soldier wears or carries. The organization's Soldier-as-a-System approach ensures that equipment works in an integrated manner, thus preparing troops for peak performance.

Photo - Staff Sgt. Jeremie Oliver of Fort Hood, Texas, shows where he was shot in the chest with while patrolling in Iraq on Father's Day this year. The bullet did not penetrate the vest. Courtesy photo.

Hillrod disputes "Smoking Gun" tape

Of course it's a fantasy dear....... just like Bill & Monica!

From WND --

Sen. Hillary Clinton's legal team denies a "smoking gun video" captures the New York Democrat and her campaign in the act of committing a felony, calling the assertion "pure fantasy" and "much ado about nothing."

As WND reported, the tape of a July 17, 2000, phone call was submitted as evidence to a California appeals court last month in a civil fraud suit by business mogul Peter Franklin Paul against the New York Democrat and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

WND reported in April that Paul charged the tape shows Sen. Clinton – despite denials throughout six years of investigation – taking an active role in the production of a lavish Hollywood fundraiser in August 2000 that eventually cost him nearly $2 million. More....